Dispenser for round and rectangular cans

ABSTRACT

A theft deterrent dispensing unit particularly for use with cans includes a conveyor section that leads to a dispensing head. The dispensing head pivots downwardly allowing the leading can to be grasped. As the dispensing head pivots downwardly, rear tabs of the dispensing head pivots upwardly, preventing the next adjacent can from moving immediately into the dispensing head until the dispensing head rotates back to a closed position. The tabs also act to center smaller cans as they move down the dispenser. Further, when the dispensing head is pivoted to an open position, a barrier is pulled down from the top of the shroud, preventing an individual from reaching in and grabbing the next adjacent can. The dispensing head includes recessed guide members which are raised when smaller round cans are dispensed, centering the cans in the front of the dispenser.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many expensive items that are stocked by stores encounter a problem referred to as “sweeping”. In other words, a thief enters a store and takes multiple items off a shelf, or “sweeps” the shelf, and runs out the store. The quicker the thief can take multiple items, the less likely the thief will be caught and more items can be stolen.

There have been many systems developed to deter this. Many expensive items are placed behind the counter so they must be accessed with the assistance of a clerk. Others are located in cases that allow only one item to be removed at a time, or limit the access of the product to the individual. Such structures are designed to require two hands to remove a single item, and prevent an individual from taking more than one item at a time.

This has been used extensively with products such as razor blades, and the like, but there is no system that is particularly suitable for canned goods. One type of canned good particularly vulnerable to theft is infant formula. This is very expensive and a thief can easily grab multiple cans from a standard store shelf at one time. Pending application Ser. No. 12/045,384, entitled “Theft Deterrent Can Dispenser”, filed on Mar. 10, 2008 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference), discloses a theft deterrent can dispensing system wherein a series of cans slide down a conveyor section that leads to a dispensing head. The dispensing head pivots downwardly from a closed to open position. When in the open position, only one can is available to be removed.

This product, as well as many other gravity feed dispensers, is designed primarily for a single size can. There are, however, a variety of different sizes of cans, some of which are rather large and rectangular and would be designed to fill up the entire conveyor section and, therefore, always be centered. But, when smaller cans are used in a conveyor section designed for larger cans, they will approach the dispensing head off-centered, and provide an unattractive appearance. Also, with the smaller cans, it may be easier to reach inside the dispenser when the dispensing head is in the open position and thereby take more than one item at a time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is premised on the realization that a can dispenser, particularly a theft deterrent dispenser, primarily suited for cans, includes a conveyor section that leads to a dispensing head. The dispensing head can pivot downwardly from a closed to an open position. When in the open position, only one can is available to be removed and the next can is prevented from sliding down into the dispensing head. The dispensing head includes two rearwardly extended legs on either side. When the dispensing head pivots downwardly, the legs rise up and stop the next can from moving forward. The legs also act to center a smaller can as it slides toward the dispensing head.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention located on a pullout shelf;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a single unit of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2, partially broken away;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view partially broken away taken at lines 4-4 of FIG. 2 with the dispensing head in the closed position;

FIG. 5 is the same view as FIG. 4 with the dispensing head in the open position;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of two adjacent dispensing units partially broken away;

FIG. 7A and 7B are diagrammatic depictions of the locking mechanism of two adjacent dispensers;

FIG. 8A and 8B are overhead views of the dispenser partially in cross section showing the dispenser in the closed position in 8A and in the open position with a can removed in 8B;

FIGS. 9 a and 9A are views similar to FIGS. 8A and 8B with rectangular cans;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken at line 10-10 of FIG. 8B;

FIG. 11( a) is a cross sectional view taken at line 11-11 of FIG. 8B; and

FIG. 11 a is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 11( a) with the guide in the lower position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIG. 2, a dispensing unit 10 includes a conveyor section 12 and a dispensing head section 14, which is adapted to dispense cans 16 (a)-(e) (shown in phantom in FIG. 2). The conveyor section 12 incorporates a base 20 with first and second side walls 22 and 24. A forward portion 28 of the conveyor section 12 includes a shroud 26. The shroud 26 includes a top 34 and two side walls 36 and 37.

The base 20 further includes a plurality of rollers 32 adapted to permit the cans 16 to slide from the rear section 30 of the conveyor to the forward section 28 of the conveyor.

A forward portion 28 of conveyor section 12 includes first and second side cantilevered tabs 40 and 42, and a central cantilevered tab 44, each of which extends below the conveyor section 12. As described below, the dispensing head 14 pivotally attaches to tabs 40, 42, and 44.

The dispensing head 14 includes a base 50 which is coplanar with the base 20 of the conveyor section 12. Base 50 includes a plurality of rollers 51 which allow the cans to slide from the conveyor section 12 to the front wall 56 of the dispensing head 14. The dispensing head 14 has side walls 52 and 54 with rearwardly extended legs 104,106. The legs include tabs 108 and 110 which rest in recessed portion 112 and 114 in base 20. Forward of front wall 56 is a protruding portion 58 which is used to operate the dispensing head 14, as described below.

As shown in FIG. 3, a bottom 60 of dispensing head 14 includes first and second hollow sleeves 62 and 64 located between the first side cantilevered tab 40 and central tab 44 and between the central cantilevered tab 44 and the second side cantilevered tab 42, respectively. A rod 46 extends from the first side cantilevered tab 40 through sleeve 62 through the central cantilevered tab 44 and sleeve 64, and, finally, to the second cantilevered tab pivotally connecting the dispensing head 14 to the conveyor section 12.

Two coil springs 66 and 67 are positioned adjacent sleeves 62 and 64 on either side of central tab 44 and around rod 46. Coil springs 66 and 67 have forward and rear ends 68 a and 68 b and 70 a and 70 b, respectively. The ends of these springs bias the dispensing head 14 in the closed position, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 2.

Extended downwardly from the bottom 60 of dispensing head 14 is a curved tongue member 72 having a plurality of teeth 73. These teeth engage a gear 74 attached to a damping member 76 fixed to the central cantilevered tab 44 of conveyor section 12. The damping member 76 is simply a closed cylinder filled with a viscous material. The gear 74 is fixed to a shaft 75 (FIGS. 4 and 5), which, in turn, is fixed to a paddle member (not shown) within the damping member 76. Thus, as the gear 74 rotates, this paddle member rotates in the viscous fluid (not shown), which, in effect, slows the movement of the dispensing head 14. This acts as a speed regulating member.

The bottom 60 of the dispensing head 14 further includes first and second downwardly extending posts 78 and 79, which are on opposite sides of the dispensing head 14. Attached to a forward side edge 48 of the conveyor section is a locking member 80. Locking member 80 includes a pivoting quartercircular wedge 82, which, when in the neutral position, as shown in FIG. 7A, has one side 83(a) resting below the post 78 of a right dispensing unit 10(a) and one side 83(b) resting below post 79 of the adjacent left dispensing unit 10(b). As shown in FIG. 7B, as a left dispensing head 14 of unit 10(a) moves to the open position, post 78 moves downwardly, causing the wedge 82 to rotate outwardly away from the post 78. When wedge 82 rotates away from post 78, it rotates under a post 79 of the next adjacent left unit 10(b), preventing the dispenser head 14 of that unit 10 b from pivoting to an open position. The lock member 80 further includes a tab 84. Tab 84 is designed to engage post 78 of an adjacent dispensing unit and align the adjacent unit.

A further security mechanism is included in the shroud 26. Extended from first and second side walls 36,37 of shroud 26 are linkages 90 and 92 which extend to either side of a panel 94, which has a forward edge 96 pivotally attached to the side walls 36 and 37 of shroud 26. When dispensing head 14 is pivoted to the open position, the side walls 52,54 pull the linkages 90 and 92, in turn pulling panel 94 downwardly. At the same time the rear edge 102 and tabs 106 and 108 rise upwardly, which holds the next can in position. Thus, when panel 94 is pulled down, as shown in FIG. 5, first can 16(a) can be selected, but the next can 16(b) on the conveyor section cannot be removed. Access is blocked by panel 94. When the dispenser returns to a closed position, panel 94 pivots upwardly, allowing can 16(b) to move forward onto the dispensing unit 14.

Typically, a plurality of dispensing units 10 would be positioned side by side on a pull-out shelf 98. The shelf 98 can be positioned at a slight angle to cause the cans to slide forwardly, or the units themselves can be positioned on an angled support (not shown) to ensure gravity feed.

As shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B, the dispenser is adapted for use with both cylindrical cans 16 and generally rectangular cans 18. The rectangular cans, as they are now produced, tend to be wider than the cylindrical cans 16. Although a wider dispenser will accommodate both the rectangular cans and the cylindrical cans, the cylindrical cans may tend to be off center in the dispenser, which interferes with the visual appeal of the item. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the side walls 52 and 54 of the dispenser head 14 include legs 104 and 106 than extend rearwardly and tapered tabs 108 and 110 fixed to the legs 104 and 106. These tabs, which are normally flush with the base of the dispenser located in recesses 112 and 114, rise upwardly when the dispenser head is pushed down. The tapered sides 116 and 118 engage the corners 117 and 119 of the rectangular cans to stop the rearward cans 18B from moving forward when the forward most can 18A is being taken by a consumer.

The dispensing head further includes first and second guide members 120 and 122. As shown, guide members 120 and 122 are tabs located in slots 124 and 126 on the base 50 of dispensing head 14 and are angled toward a center of the dispensing head. The guide members 120,122 extend from a raised to lowered position. (See FIGS. 11 a and 11 b.) In the lowered position (FIG. 11 b), the top surface 128 of the guide members 120,124 are flush with the base 50 allowing cans to pass over. The guide members include ridges 130 that provide an interference fit with ridges 132 in slots 124,126 holding the guides in a raised position, as shown in FIG. 8A and 8B.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 11 a, when in a raised position the guide members 120,122 center round cans 16 a at the front of the dispensing head 14. Thus, the guide members are in a raised position when round cans are being dispensed and, as represented in FIGS. 9A and 9B, are in a lowered position when larger rectangular cans 18 a are being dispensed.

In use, the units 10 are loaded with cans, either cylindrical cans 16 or rectangular cans 18. If rectangular cans are loaded, the guide members 120 and 122 are pushed down into a lower position with their top surface 128 flush with base 50 (see FIG. 11B). If round cans are loaded, the guide members 120 and 122 are pulled to a round position, as shown in FIG. 11A. These units 10 are positioned side by side. If a customer desires to take a can 16A or 18A from the shelf, the protruding portion 58 is pushed downwardly, which tilts the forward most can 16A or 18A so it can be grasped without interference from the shroud 26. This is shown more particularly in FIG. 5 with a cylindrical can.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7B, posts 78 will then push the wedge 82 of lock member 80 in the direction of arrow 100. The wedge 82 will be directly below posts 79 of the left adjacent dispensing unit which prevents the dispensing head 14 of that unit from pivoting to an open position. Thus, only the first can can be removed.

When the head unit 14 is pivoted downwardly, the rear edge 102 of the base of the dispensing head rises above the plane of the base 20 of the conveyor section. This prevents the next cylindrical can 16 b from sliding down forwardly. Further, when dispensing head 14 is in the open position, linkages 90 and 92 will be pulled downwardly, which, in turn, will cause the panel 94 to be pulled downwardly. This prevents an individual from reaching in and grabbing the next adjacent can 16 b.

The tabs 108 and 110 act to center the next adjacent can 16 b in the center of the dispensing unit so that when it does slide forward into the dispensing head, it will be in the center of the dispensing head. As shown in FIG. 8B, an off center can 16 b represented by a dashed line is centered as it moves in the direction of the arrow.

Likewise, with rectangular cans 18, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the tabs 108 and 110 hold the next rectangular can 18 b in position, preventing it from moving forward into the dispensing head until the dispensing head rises to a closed position so that the tabs 108 and 110 act in the same manner as the rear edge 102 of the base of the dispensing head with respect to the cylindrical cans 16.

Once the individual releases the dispensing head 14, the springs 66 and 67 urge the dispensing head 14 to the closed position. As this occurs, the base 50 and the curved tongue 72 will move upwardly, which will cause the gear 74 of damping member 76 to rotate. The damping member 76 will, in effect, govern the speed at which the dispensing head 14 closes, which will then establish an interval of time required before the next can can be removed from the same unit or adjacent units.

Once the dispensing head closes, the rear edge 102 will lie flush with the base 20 and the tabs 108 and 110 will likewise be flush with the base 20 being positioned in recessed areas 112 and 114 of the base. This allows the next can to slide forwardly into the dispensing head 14. If the can is rectangular, it will slide over guide members 120 and 122. If the can is round, raised guide members 120 and 122 will center the can 16 a at the front of the unit.

To restock the dispensers 10, the shelf 98 is simply pulled out, allowing access to the rear portion of the conveyor, which can then be loaded with additional cans. Generally, shelf 98 will include a lock (not shown), which prevents a thief from puling out the shelf.

Thus, the present invention provides for easy dispensing of cans. Further, it prevents an individual from taking two cans from adjacent units at the same time, and, further, prevents an individual from taking multiple cans from the same dispensing unit without allowing the dispensing head to open and close totally. Due to the fact that a governor or brake is provided on the dispensing head, the time required for the unit's head to close is controlled. With the guide members 120 and 122, the unit can be used with both round cans and the larger rectangular cans.

The invention has been shown with a pivoting dispensing head for a theft deterrent system. But, it also can be used with a fixed dispensing head or section wherein a can can be selected without moving the head portion or front of the dispenser. But, it would not provide theft deterrence.

This has been a description of the present invention along with the preferred method of practicing the present invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims, wherein we claim. 

1. A dispenser comprising a conveyor section and a dispensing head attached to a forward portion of said conveyor section; said dispensing head having a base and first and second guide members in said base, said guide members having a raised position wherein said guide members direct cans to a center of said dispensing head and a lowered position in which tops of said guide members are flush with said base.
 2. The dispenser claimed in claim 1 wherein said dispensing head is pivotally attached to said conveyor section and further comprising first and second tabs extended rearwardly from said head, said tabs extended above a plane of a base of said conveyor section when said dispensing head is pivoted to an open position, thereby preventing cans from sliding from said conveyor section to said dispensing head when said dispensing head is pivoted to said open position and wherein said tabs are recessed in said base of said conveyor when said dispensing head is in a closed position.
 3. The dispenser claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second tabs are fixed to first and second legs and said legs attached to said dispensing head.
 4. The dispenser claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide members are angled toward a center of said dispenser.
 5. The dispenser claimed in claim 2 further comprising a shroud extending over a forward portion of said conveyor section and a stop member pivotally connected to said shroud member and further connected to said dispensing head by a linkage mechanism whereby moving said dispensing head to an open position causes said stop member to extend downwardly, preventing access to a next adjacent can. 